In the early 1970’s, many counties in Virginia were without any doctors of any kind. General practitioners were retiring and no replacements were being trained at the state’s medical school. A groundswell of interest in the training of primary care doctors developed in the state legislature and the Medical College of Virginia (now the VCU School of Medicine) was tasked with the training of additional family physicians. This led to the development of the VCU/Chesterfield Family Medicine Residency.

The program was established as a partnership between MCV, Chippenham Medical Center and local family physicians that were active in training medical students for MCV at the time. Dr. Darrell Gilliam (now retired), Dr. Robert Smith (deceased) and Dr. Andrew Del Sordo combined their south Richmond practices for residency training and accepted their first residents in 1975 with Dr. Gilliam serving as the first family medicine residency director. Dr. Tom Owen joined the practice in 1974 as they prepared to receive their first residents. They moved the practice/training program to a new medical building in Chesterfield County in 1978 and the program remains in the same facility today. Dr. Del Sordo left the program after a few years and has retired but still assists in the training of family medicine residents in practice management.

Since 2005 and with the support of its partners, the program has expanded its core faculty, added a new residency coordinator, hired faculty to help with obstetrical training and acquired an electronic medical record. Dr. Richard Hoffman became director in 2005 and continues in that capacity. The program continues its relationship with VCU SOM teaching medical students and offering an acting internship in family medicine. Interest in the program from students remains strong. The reputation of the program at the medical school and in the community is very good.

The program has graduated over 200 family physicians since its inception and has been recognized by the state legislature for its commitment to producing primary care doctors for the state of Virginia. Two thirds of the graduates remain in Virginia with about one third of the graduates in central Virginia. The program continues its partnership with CJW Medical Center (now an HCA facility). Program faculty and residents care for patients at both the Chippenham and Johnston Willis campuses. The support of the Medical Center and its physician staff remains strong with excellent support for the teaching of residents in training. Likewise, the relationship with the VCU School of Medicine remains steadfast with programmatic support for faculty development and research opportunities with the Department of Family Medicine